


Don’t I know you?

by zorana



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But he doesn't really mind, Cisco keeps getting talked into things, Fluff, M/M, References to Canon-Typical Violence, References to institutional racism, nothing explicit tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 13:20:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7803529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zorana/pseuds/zorana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cisco was not going to agree to this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don’t I know you?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MarauderCracker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarauderCracker/gifts).



Cisco was not going to agree to this.

He wasn’t.

Uh-uh.

Not this time.

Nope

“Cisco! _Please_! He’s sniffing around where he shouldn’t be and he’s getting too close and it’s _dangerous_!”

Nope Nope Nope. Cisco Ramon was gonna be smart.

“Why does it have to be me? Why can’t Caitlyn go?!” He shot back.

_Be strong Cisco!_

“Because she’s linked to the police and to me directly as a consultant! You’re only linked to The Flash via Star Labs so he won’t be suspicious. Come on Cisco! You _know_ I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. And anyway, it’s a simple set-up. You meet, you warn him that he’s getting too close and you walk away. Simple.”

“Yes because your brother is so well known for listening to warnings! Your stories about him are so full of those little details!” Cisco knew he was sniping but he _really_ did not want to do this.

The huff of annoyance was loud and long and Cisco had a sinking feeling he was going to lose this particular battle of wills.

A hand settled on his shoulder.

_Oh no! Not the beseeching hand on the shoulder!_

He looked up into clear beseeching hazel eyes and knew it was over.

“He’s my little brother. I don’t want anything to happen to him because he’s being reckless. I mean it's only been a few years since we found him again,” Iris said softly. Her hair was still twisted up but a few strands had been pulled out of the practical bun she kept it in while in the suit. Her left hand was light on his shoulder but he could see the other one gripping her mask tight. She _was_ really torn up about it.

Cisco sighed, “I am such an idiot.”

* * *

 

Cisco shivered in the sharp breeze on the rooftop of the Town Hall and cursed as he felt the first drops of rain that had been threatening to pour down all day. He’d known Wally wasn’t going to agree to meet in some wholly secluded spot, but did he really have to pick somewhere quite so exposed to the elements?

“You’re not The Flash.” The voice him startled him so badly he nearly jumped out of his skin. He flailed a little before spinning around, hand on his heart. “What the fuck is wrong with you! It’s rude sneaking up on people like that!”

He recognised the figure now standing in front of him immediately of course. Iris had shown him pictures of Wally’s graduation just a couple of months ago with nonchalant older-sister pride, but she wasn’t fooling anyone about her delight at his achievement of scoring at the top of his journalism class.

Unfortunately, the smiling handsome young man from the photos was nowhere in evidence at the moment. Wally’s arms were crossed defensively in front of him, his brow furrowed with suspicion.

_Talk fast, Cisco!_

He opened his mouth to explain but instead he heard, “I could be The Flash.”

_Ok, that was too fast._

Wally’s expression grew even more thunderous. “Yes, because you’re clearly a Black woman of medium height and build, probably in her early to mid-twenties. I _knew_ this was a waste of time.” He turned away as he spat out the words, clearly done with the conversation.

“Waitwaitwaitwait! Hold on speedy! I mean… Yes, I’m not The Flash… Obviously... But she did send me! Honest!” Cisco stepped forward in his panic that he’d screwed up the conversation before it had even started and was brought up short when Wally turned to face him, only inches now separating them.

The West siblings weren’t very tall were they, Cisco noted absently, before awkwardly shuffling back a little. It was not very often that he wasn’t craning his head back to look at people in the eye

_This was going so well._

“She sent you? Why? The message said it was a meeting with her.” Wally didn’t look any more convinced.

Cisco sighed. “We’ve got some information that makes a meeting between you two kinda risky right now, so she sent me. You’ve been attracting a lot of attention with that blog of yours.”

Wally waved the concern away like he would a fly. “That’s not important. What’s important is people _know_ what’s going on in this city!”

“Hold it right there zippy!” Cisco stopped the urgent rush of words by throwing up his hands. “What’s _important_ is that you stop it and you back off. You’re putting both yourself _and_ The Flash in a lot of danger with all this snooping around!”

That seemed to have gotten through, thank the speed force. Wally looked just the tiniest bit crushed before shaking it off. “I don’t believe that. I’m doing important work. No one else is telling the truth about this! About _her_!”

“Yes and that’s how we’d like it to stay! We can’t have incidents being tracked like this. And we certainly can’t let anyone think you two have some kind of connection because then all the meta-humans in the city are going to come straight for you!” Cisco spoke urgently. He hadn’t wanted to take the meeting but he did know how important it was that Wally step back from all of this.

From the determination on Wally’s face that wasn’t going to happen. Cisco suddenly found his shoulders in a tight grip and Wally’s face right up next to his. “Whoooooah how do you move so damn fast! Come on man, personal space!”

Wally paid no attention to his flailing however, except for lightening his grip enough that Cisco knew he could twist away whenever he wanted. “Look, I recognise you now, you’re Cisco Ramon, right? From STAR Labs? I wasn't in Central City when the particle accelerator explosion happened but I know The Flash has a connection to that place. All the records were destroyed in the explosion and now it’s locked down tight but there's enough that I know there's a link. I _also_ know you’re pretty much a genius and that you’ve been working on high-acceleration-resistant fibres so you’ve got to be close to her.”

Cisco could only nod, mind racing at how much Wally had already figured out.

Wally drew a breath, like he was hunting for the right words. “Then you have to tell her that she _needs_ me. She needs me writing about the good things she’s accomplishing. That she’s a goddamn hero! Do you know what people are saying about a Black meta-human who can run up buildings?! The hate that’s out there for her?! Have you even read the articles? The crap that’s being spewed all over radio and the ‘net?! _That’s_ what’s dangerous to her!”

Cisco swallowed a little to clear his throat. Wally’s worry was clearly genuine and he tried to reassure him. “She’ll be fine. That’s mostly just talk and…”

“ _Bullshit!_ ,” Wally face reflected his disbelief. “It’s not just talk. People are screaming about her being a ‘dangerous loose canon’ and calling for her arrest! And _worse!_ She might be faster than a bullet when she’s looking but she’s not always looking!”

Cisco raised his hands and gripped Wally’s shoulders. “Look I know… she _knows_ ok. We take this very seriously. And the CCPD is sympathetic… I mean you know your dad is...and your sister…”

Wally seemed to realise how close they were standing to each other and backed off a little but still retained his grip on Cisco’s arms. He didn’t miss a beat at the mention of his family, “Joe runs a good department and Iris is a good cop but CCPD’s record isn’t totally clean and they can’t control everyone! They certainly control the way the Mayor is gonna spin any bad press in the next election. _You. Need. Me._ ”

Cisco felt a little light-headed with the force of Wally’s gaze.

_Wow no wonder Barry maintained that Iris’ commitment to saving people was _all_ her — speed or no speed._

He tried again, his hands now running up and down Wally’s arms lightly in an effort to give some comfort. “I’m not saying she’s a 100% safe. Of course, she isn’t! She’s a goddamned hero saving people from certain death! But Wally, you’ve got to trust her on this.”

“I trust her!” Wally broke in, “It’s everyone else in this damn city that she’s saving that I don’t trust. Look if you want me to stop being so specific, I can do that. You want me to stop tracking her movements, also fine. But, you have to keep me in the loop so I can keep getting the truth out there. You know I’m right!”

And thing was, Cisco did know. He’d read the blogs and he couldn’t avoid the news.

_Vigilante. Out of Control. An Uncontrollable Threat._

He knew.

He sighed.

Apparently losing arguments to Wests was what he did now.

“Fine, fine, _fine..._  You’re right. We do need someone on our side in the media. Ir...I mean… I’ve tried to argue that before but she hasn’t listened but I’ll tell her this was the only way of making you back off. And you will… right? Back off?” He did some gripping of his own then, needing to get Wally’s promise on this.

Wally nodded, meeting his eyes without flinching. “Look I will. I want to be smart about this and _help_. But you have to let me.”

Cisco suddenly realised that Wally was close enough to kiss.

_Stop it Ramon! This is complicated enough._

He stepped back completely then, missing the warmth of Wally’s hands a little as they fell away. He also realised that he was now thoroughly damp and that it was even colder on the rooftop.

He shivered a little and nodded. “Okay, so we’ll set up some kind of drop system with info but you don’t go off on your own… What now?!” Wally was shaking his head.

“No drops. It’s too dangerous.”

“Okay, this is very Jason Bourne, but okay. Someone will contact you.” Cisco’s mind raced ahead to who they could trust as a go-between.

“You.”

“Excuse me,” Cisco spluttered.

“I want you to be the contact.” Wally said calmly.

“Look here now…” Cisco knew this was nothing but trouble.

“You’re the contact or the deal’s off.” Wally was already turning to leave and Cisco realised that this time he wasn’t going to be able to stop him.

“Ugh! Fine! I don’t understand why but fine.” He grumbled and started towards the steps himself. He hoped Barry was enjoying this on the comms. And that he’d kept the heat running in the car because Cisco was fucking freezing.

He was brought up short once again as Wally seemed to materialise in front of him. “Okay, are you a speedster too because this is ridiculous!”

Wally only grinned though, the warmth of his smile completely taking Cisco’s breath away.

“I’m going to get to enjoy getting to know you Cisco Ramon.”

He felt the lightest touch on his cheek before Wally ducked away. God, the guy was _fast._

Then his brain caught up with Wally had said.

_Oh shit!_

**Author's Note:**

> Hey MarauderCracker! Thank you so much for the great prompt and for giving me the chance to finally write Cisco! I hope this is along the lines of what you were looking for and that you enjoy reading it even half as much as I liked writing it! 
> 
> Also thank you to @tanndell for the great idea and to @janesgravity for the lightening-fast beta! Y'all are the best <3


End file.
